US suspending permanent residency program for Microsoft, Vance says - Reuters

The United States government has announced a suspension of a permanent residency program that had been used by technology companies to sponsor foreign workers. The decision was disclosed by Representative Mike Vance, who said the move targets the program’s use by major firms in the sector.

According to the announcement, the suspension will affect Microsoft, which has relied on the program to bring in skilled employees from abroad. Vance noted that the program’s suspension is intended to address concerns about its impact on the domestic labor market.

In a related statement, Vance also indicated that the suspension extends to Adobe, another large technology company that has utilized the same permanent residency pathway for its workforce. This broader application was not mentioned in all reports, but it aligns with the administration’s stated goal of curbing the program’s use across the industry.

Vance criticized the practice of replacing laid‑off workers with foreign hires, stating, “If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants.” The comment underscores the administration’s view that the program has been used to substitute domestic employees with foreign labor.

The suspension will remain in effect while the government reviews the program’s criteria and its implications for U.S. workers. No timeline for reinstatement has been provided, and companies affected by the change are expected to adjust their hiring and immigration strategies accordingly.